


how dare you speak of grace

by Red (S_Hylor)



Category: Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes
Genre: Episode: s02e19 Emperor Stark, Evil Tony Stark, M/M, Mind Control, holy shit what's happened to Tony?, the purple man - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:13:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23962912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/S_Hylor/pseuds/Red
Summary: The captain halts at the other side of the wide desk, staring down at the Emperor, face twisted with guilt and pain. “We could stop this.”The Emperor pulls his gaze away from the monitors to look back at the captain. “Stop this? Why would I do that when I’ve finally achieved what no one else could.”
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 2
Kudos: 40





	how dare you speak of grace

**Author's Note:**

  * For [WhenasInSilks](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhenasInSilks/gifts).



> WhenasInSilks left this prompt on the Stony 616 Discord channel: suzanne vega's "the queen and the soldier" in fic form just fuck me up please  
> Needless to say, i listened to the song and couldn't resist. 
> 
> Initially thought of making this Superior Iron Man, but I haven't read enough of it, so it ended up being set during the Emperor Stark episode of EMH. With a lot of changes made.

There’s no purple sheen to the captain’s eyes, and the Emperor isn’t sure there ever was. He can’t remember seeing it there, but the idea of someone following him without it doesn’t seem possible. 

Except the captain looks at him, eyes searching, expression pleading. 

“—ny, I’d follow you to the ends of the earth. But I have to know why. Why are you doing this?” The captain begs, standing in the doorway of the Emperor’s throne room as though he dare not step further forward. 

The Emperor doesn’t reply, he lifts a hand and beckons the captain closer. There’s blood splattered in the captain’s uniform, clinging to the edge of his shield, and the Emperor can only assume that it was from fighting yet another cell of the resistance. They are getting fewer and further between. On the security monitors in front of him, he can see the newest prisoners being marched in—at least those who were still standing at the end of the fight. There’s the archer; the one who had been giving them so much trouble. 

The captain halts at the other side of the wide desk, staring down at the Emperor, face twisted with guilt and pain. “We could stop this.” 

The Emperor pulls his gaze away from the monitors to look back at the captain. “Stop this? Why would I do that when I’ve finally achieved what no one else could.” 

The captain doesn’t say anything, his jaw tenses and chest jerks with unsaid words. 

“World peace.” The Emperor claims, when it becomes apparent no one else is going to fill in the blanks. “The wars are over. Poverty no longer exists. Hunger eradicated. How can you look at this world and tell me to stop?” 

The captain looks sad, his usually careful and blank expression turning down. “This isn’t peace. Tony. This is fear.” 

The Emperor tries not to recoil at the name. He’s never liked that name, though the way the captain said it always made him think there might have been a time that he did. But that time is gone, and he doesn’t like that name. That name sounds like insubordination. 

“Does it really matter how peace comes about? Don't the ends justify the means? Can’t you just be happy knowing that the world is a better place?” The Emperor asks, leaning back in his chair and watching the captain carefully. Watching him for any sign. “He’s happy with the world I’ve created. You know it was all his ideas, don’t you? They were all sitting there, in his brain, just waiting for me to enact. Why can’t you be proud of his world?” 

Pain flashes across the captain’s face, quickly followed by the stubborn set of his jaw. “The Tony I know would not be proud of this world. The Tony I know would not say the ends justify the means. I know you’re still in there, Tony.” 

The name grates on the Emperor’s nerves. The voice of the devil on his shoulder tells him to shut the captain up. 

“Enough!” He snaps, rubbing at his eyes, trying to stave off the headache that would inevitably be brought on by the captain’s ceaseless pleas. “If you want so badly to know what you are fighting for, I will show you.” 

The Emperor stands up, moving towards the exit of his office, beckoning the captain to follow him. He knows without looking that the captain does, trailing along behind him like a lost puppy, ever hopefully that his master will return. Pathetic. It would make his skin crawl if it wasn’t so easy to manipulate the captain. 

They walk down the hallway, the Emperor and the captain, conqueror and conquered, until they arrive at the stairs leading to the roof access. The wind buffets around them as they step out onto the roof, so high up, looking out over the Emperor’s kingdom. The battlefields spread out before them where he’d battled those who resisted him, and won. 

The captain stands beside him, the wind whipping his blond hair around his face, and for an instant the Emperor has the strong urge to brush it back from his eyes. An action he might have done once, a long time ago. 

He curls his hands into fists to suppress the urge, turns his face away. “Can’t you see it?” 

The captain shakes his head, eyes still sad and pleading. “This isn’t you, Tony. I know you’re still a good man. You just have to fight it.” 

The Emperor smiles, knife sharp. “I don’t have to fight anything. I’ve already won.” 

There’s movement in the stairwell behind them, but the captain barely has time to turn before the arrow strikes him, piercing deep. There’s shock and disbelief in his eyes as he looks at the Emperor, staggering back a step. Then another. 

The captain reaches out for him, pleading for help even as blood bubbles at the corner of his mouth. The Emperor watches, impassive as the captain staggers back another step, toppling over the edge of the roof. Inside Tony screams the captain’s name, and on his shoulder the devil dressed in purple laughs. 

He’s already won. 


End file.
